Wei Zhen stepped forward half a step and bowed first, saying, "Minister of Ceremonies Wei Zhen, respectfully greets Your Majesty's return to the capital!"
Cao Rui sat on his horse, gazing down at Wei Zhen for a few moments before dismounting, lifting Wei Zhen up with his own hands.
"With Master Wei in Luoyang, my worries are gone! I have said this before, and today I will say it again."
"Thank Your Majesty for your favor," Wei Zhen said.
Wei Zhen raised his head and looked at Cao Rui, and the two nodded slightly to each other.
Everything is implied.
Cao Rui released the hand he had been holding to help up Wei Zhen and went forward to greet Zhong Yao and Hua Xin.
Zhong Yao was one year older. Compared to the previous year, not only were his legs and feet worse, but his speech had become vague as well.
Cao Rui sighed, "Master of the Ministry of Education is in poor health. Why come to greet me? When I enter the capital, I will see you again."
Zhong Yao forced a smile on his face and mumbled, "Your Majesty has achieved great victory, regained control of Hanzhong, and I wish to congratulate Your Majesty!"
As he spoke, Zhong Yao prepared to bow.
Cao Rui pressed Zhong Yao's hand down and leaned in to speak softly, "I have reclaimed Hanzhong. How does that compare to the prowess of Emperor Wu?"
Zhong Yao was startled for a moment, but then realized that the emperor was joking with him, so he smiled and replied, "A continuous lineage, a continuous lineage!"
Cao Rui lightly slapped Zhong Yao's palm, his fingertip touching the dry skin of Zhong Yao, and said, "I am far from being as great as Emperor Wu!"
"If I were to go to battle again, I would have Zhong Yu come along with the army, leading troops in the central command with me!"
Zhong Yao initially felt that his son's prospects looked promising, but then he suddenly realized, "Why does Your Majesty want to go to battle again?"
Hua Xin coughed softly and whispered beside him, "Your Majesty, we have something to report to you."
"You all?"
Cao Rui quickly noticed the word choice of Hua Xin, looked at Zhong Yao, Hua Xin, and Wei Zhen, and saw that the three of them had the same expression on their faces, as if they had already agreed on something.
Cao Rui seemed to be pondering, and asked, "What is it that you wish to tell me? It seems as though all of you have already come to a consensus?"
Hua Xin bowed and replied, "Your Majesty bears the heavy responsibility of the state. Upon learning of the danger in Longyou, Your Majesty led six armies to attack the disobedient, which is truly the action of a wise and virtuous ruler."
"However, battles are often dangerous in the smallest of places. The journey on the battlefield often has unforeseen risks."
Hua Xin, with a sincere expression on his face, said, "Your Majesty is the ruler of the world. He cannot stay in the military for a long time and constantly engage in killing. A sacred emperor lives in Luoyang, sending out famous ministers and good generals to govern the world and fight in all directions, which is the right way for a monarch."
"As a humble Minister of Defense, I dare to speak my mind to Your Majesty. I hope Your Majesty will always remember the dangers of war. Wu and Shu are mere small states, and a great general can be sent to deal with them. Why should Your Majesty waste His precious body by going to the front lines?"
"I humbly implore Your Majesty's wisdom!"
After speaking, the 70-year-old Hua Xin bowed deeply, causing Cao Rui to be surprised.
Wei Zhen also bowed, and since Zhong Yao could not move his legs, he raised his hands in a gesture of respect as well.
Cao Rui was silent for a few moments, without speaking.
Sima Yi was a few zhang away, watching as the emperor conversed quietly with Zhong Yao, Hua Xin, and Wei Zhen.
However, Sima Yi showed no intention of approaching.
If it were a private matter, it would not be discussed in such a public setting with the emperor. If it were something ordinary, I would know about it sooner or later.
Be calm and composed.
Sima Yi can keep his composure, and so can Cao Rui.
Cao Rui, who had been excited to meet the three of them at first, now saw that much of that excitement had faded. He spoke calmly, "Stand up! Gentleman Hua has good courage, does he not? Does he not forbid me from personally commanding troops?"
Hua Xin stood up straight, looking astonished at the emperor and quickly explained, "We only think that the battle is dangerous, and Your Majesty has caught a serious illness in the army this time. It is for the sake of Your Majesty's safety that we say this, and there are no other intentions!"
Cao Rui looked at Hua Xin and suddenly laughed, "I was jesting with the Minister of Defense! How could I not know your good intentions?"
"You may rest assured, unless there is a truly urgent military situation, I will not personally lead the army."
"The Grand Marshal and the General of the Army are both national heroes. They are enough to deal with Wu and Shu. From now on, I won't need to personally lead the army anymore!"
The emperor's sudden change of attitude truly startled Hua Xin. Could it be that having spent so much time in the military, he had become so straightforward in his speech?
However, Cao Rui was not convinced.
Secular moral standards such as benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faithfulness are not applicable to an emperor.
If an emperor were to truly become like a Confucian scholar, he would eventually be taken advantage of and exploited, it is a matter of time.
If the emperor truly listened to Hua Xin's words and promised not to lead the army again, it would be no different from relinquishing power outside the military.
Cao Rui can only ensure that Wei Zhen has good intentions. The other two are seasoned old ministers, and Cao Rui really cannot figure them out.
Even if Hua Xin has good intentions, Cao Rui still needs to scare him a little bit, giving him a small warning.
You, Lord Hua, are not the gentleman you seem to be. You dared to enter the imperial palace of Emperor Han and personally dragged Empress Fu out of it. Don't say such things like "the sacred emperor reigns with his hands behind his back" in front of the emperor. It won't work.
Although Hua Xin has seen many storms in his life, it has been many years since he last experienced such a situation. Being scolded so fiercely by the emperor was quite uncomfortable for him, and he had to explain repeatedly that he had no malicious intent.
Cao Rui also smiled and continued to comfort him. If an outsider were to look here, they would only marvel at the harmonious scene of a wise emperor and virtuous ministers.
After a few words, Cao Rui turned around and called for the Grand Marshal Sima Yi behind him, exchanging pleasantries for a moment.
Cao Rui waved to the Six Departments and Nine Ministries who had come to greet him, one by one, indicating that it was time to proceed. Then he mounted his horse again and rode off with the retinue towards Luoyang.
When they arrived at the Guangyang Gate on the west side of Luoyang, Cao Rui turned to Wei Zhen beside him and said, "Master Wei, the rewards and gifts I prepared for the soldiers of the central army in my previous letters to you have already been prepared."
Wei Zhen bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, everything is ready. I have fully mobilized the warehouses in Luoyang and Yanzhou, and also gathered some from Juancheng and Qingzhou. Five days ago, all the rewards were collected."
"The soldiers will return to camp, and the rewards can be distributed the very next day, without any delay."
"It is easy to fight, but difficult to reward. As the emperor of the Great Wei and a loyal minister of the Great Wei, Wei Zhen, I and you can work together for the country. However, soldiers on the battlefield risk their lives for rewards and wealth." Cao Rui sighed.
"I will reward you with wealth today, but I do not wish to reward you again next time."
Wei Zhen listened in silence, simply nodding slightly on his horse without saying a word.
Sima Yi, by his side, looked thoughtful and turned to the emperor, "I am curious, Your Majesty. What will you reward the soldiers next time?"
Cao Rui looked at Sima Yi and said calmly, "Farmland!"
Sima Yi took a deep breath, bowed with his hands, and said nothing more.
Rewarding soldiers with land is not simply a matter of giving them land. Behind it are many political conditions.
If land is to be rewarded, where does the land come from?
If the soldiers already have land, who will till the fields and perform their services?
If all the soldiers are given land, should the system of forced labor still be implemented?
The words 'land' carry the weight of three major issues: clearing land, conscription system, and military land management.
Each of these matters concerns the foundation of the Great Wei, which is why Sima Yi dared not speak further.
Perhaps... after Your Majesty returns from the campaign, he plans to reform these systems?
Sima Yi secretly guessed in his heart, but he dared not confirm. Because it was too difficult to reform the system.
Even during the time of Emperor Guangwu, the founder of the Eastern Han dynasty, the land surveying caused unrest and rebellion across regions. And he was hailed as a holy ruler!
In the present Great Wei, to accomplish all three of these tasks at once would be incredibly difficult.
Lost in thought, the entourage had already entered the city.
Not far from the entrance, Wei Zhen smiled and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty has returned to Luoyang today, which is like returning home. Why not allow Your Majesty to rest in the palace for a while first, and then hold a feast and celebration in the evening?"
Cao Rui waved his hand: "I will not go back to the palace first. Master Wei, please arrange to send Zhong Taifu home and have the ordinary officials of the second thousand stone return to their posts."
"The Six Departments and Nine Ministries should not leave just yet."
After saying that, Cao Rui turned to Hua Xin and said, "I have been away from Luoyang for a long time and missed the funerals of Wang Simu. Now that I am back in Luoyang, I should pay my respects to his grave."
"Would it be acceptable for the Grand Marshal to accompany me?" Cao Rui looked at Sima Yi again, "The Grand Marshal should also come with me."
Both men agreed, and Wei Zhen also agreed to go along.
After the imperial procession entered the city of Luoyang, there was very little stopping, and they moved directly towards Wang Simu's mansion.
Since the newly appointed Dushī had not yet taken office, Wang Su and his family were still residing in the Dushī mansion.
In Luoyang, the mansion of the Grand Marshal, the mansion of the Dushī, and the mansion of the Grand Marshal of Works are three connected courtyards, half residence and half official offices.
Whoever becomes the Dushī will move in. Whoever resigns or is relieved of his position, whoever will move out.
The location of the Three Grandsmen's residence in Luoyang City is fixed, but the Three Grandsmen themselves are not fixed.
Moreover, according to the Han dynasty tradition, the Three Grandsmen were positions held by members of the state who were highly respected and elderly, in other words, a group of old men in their seventies and eighties.
It is not uncommon for the Three Grandsmen to die in office.
No one would decline the position of the Three Grandsmen or refuse to move into their mansions due to these superstitions.
The saying goes that one should not speak of strange powers, unnatural strength, chaos, and the divine. After all, once someone has become a member of the Three Grandsmen, they are naturally invulnerable to evil influences!
Wang Lang has been deceased for over a month now. During his lifetime, Wang Lang and his son Wang Su were in close contact with Cao Rui. Both publicly and privately, Cao Rui should pay a visit to their graves.
What surprised everyone was that the emperor did not even return to the palace, but directly came to the Dushī mansion to pay tribute to Wang Lang.
Upon hearing of the emperor's arrival, Wang Su dressed in mourning attire to greet him at the door.
Cao Rui walked forward slowly, and Wang Su bent deeply and was then helped up by the emperor personally.
"Lord Wang, after parting ways at the Yan River, I have met you again. Please lead the way. I would like to pay my respects in person to the tomb of Dushī Wang."
Hearing the emperor's words, Wang Su stepped back half a step, kowtowed three times in gratitude, and then quickly got up, leading the emperor inside.
As Cao Rui stepped over the threshold of the front door and walked in alongside Wang Su, Sima Yi was staring at them silently from behind.
Wang Lang, Wang Su…
It seems that Wang Lang's death has not at all hindered Wang Su's favor with the emperor. Why does the emperor have such a special affection for the Wang family?
Sima Yi was somewhat perplexed. (Chapter Complete)
